Driving mechanism



' 31, 1942. J; OAKLEY I DRIVING MECHANISM Filed. July 28, 1941 Patented Mar. 31, 1942 DRIVING MECHANISM John Oakley,

Springfield, Mass,

assignor to Perkins Machine and Gear Company, West Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 28, 1941, Serial No. 404,291

4 Claims.

My invention relates to operating mechanisms where it is desired to oscillate a shaft back and forth.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of an operating mechanism adapted to oscillate a shaft or the like back and forth, and said mechanism is characterized by adjustable means to oscillate the shaft through different predetermined angles.

As a special feature of the invention, the novel operating mechanism includes a plurality of driving members and driven members which are permanently and positively engaged and means for selectively engaging the driven members and the shaft to be operated so as to obtain different definite predetermined oscillating effects.

The novel features of the invention are adapted for broad application wherever it is desired to oscillate a shaft or the like, but for purposes of disclosure it will be described in connection with a paddle or agitator shaft of a washing machine.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of a tub of a washing machine having the novel operating or driving mechanism of the invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, wherein similar reference figures refer to like parts, and referring more particularly to the preferred form of my invention which has been selected for illustrative purposes, I have shown in Fig. l a lower wall 2 of a washing machine tub 4. A shaft 6 extends through the bottom Wall 2 into the tub and is journalled in a casing 8. The upper part of shaft in the tub carries the usual agitator or paddle, which is not shown, and said shaft and paddle are positively oscillated by the mechanism of this invention.

The casing is of a usual construction and is adapted for enclosing the mechanism of the invention. It has a cover l secured thereto and the said casing may be secured to the tub 4 in any desired manner. A shaft I2 journalled for rotation in a side of the casing is connected by a coupling M to a shaft 16 of a motor 18. The motor I8 is carried by a support 20 which is suitably associated with the casing', substantially as shown.

A shaft 22, having its lower portion journalled in the casing extends upwardly alongside of the tub for driving a wringer. Said shaft is driven by means of a worm wheel 24, with which is engaged a worm 26 of the shaft I2. As the shaft I2 is rotated, the shaft 22 and the Worm gear 24 are also rotated. The worm gear 24 may be termed the propeller or rotatable member.

A plurality of driven members are rotatable on the shaft 6 and consist of gears 26, 28 and 3B which are of different diameters. A plurality of driving members are pivotally connected at 32 to the rotatable member 24 which consist of racks 34, 36 and 38 in operative engagement with the aforesaid gears. I

The gears are selectively connected to the shaft 6 by means later to be described.

According to the particular gear engaged with the shaft the extent or angle of oscillation thereof depends. Hence to obtain a certain definite predetermined angle of oscillation a certain gear is operatively connected to the shaft.

Means is provided to hold the gears and racks in permanent operative engagement and may take any form desired.

In the form of invention shown a bracket 50 is secured to the housing and in it are adjustably mounted engaging rack members 52, 54 and 56. These have rolls such as 58 journalled to engage the rear sides of the racks and positively hold them in engagement with their respective gears. Adjusting screws such as 60 may be provided if desired to act on the members 52, 54 and 56.

The gears 26, 28 and 30 may be selectively connected to the shaft 6 by various means but one suitable form will be described.

A spool member 64 is slidable on the shaft 6 and has a key 66 movable thereby that is slidable in a longitudinal groove 68 in a side of said shaft.

The gears 26, 28 and 36 are provided with internal recesses 10 and projections 12 as shown in Fig. 3. The member 64 is moved up and down so that the end portion 61 of the key is engaged by one of the projections of one of the gears and according to the position of the key end 67 one of the gears may be connected to the shaft.

By connecting the different gears to the shaft 6 the said shaft may be positively oscillated through different definite angles.

There may be a plurality of keys such as 66 operable in other slots of the shaft 6 and movable by member 64. And obviously there may be any number of gears of any desired relative diameters.

The member 64 may be moved up and down by any desired means but as an illustration a rod 80 is oscillatable in a bearing 82 and passes into the casing and on its end carries a shifter 84 in operative engagement with the memberfid, as shown.

An end part 86 of the rod 80 extends upwardly of the tub and has a manually engageable part 90 to facilitate oscillating the rod in one direction or the other.

Means is provided to releasably hold the rod 80 in various positions of adjustment and may take various forms. In the form of the invention illustrated a disc 94 carries a detent 96 that is urged outwardly by a spring 98. Holes in part such as 99 of the casing receive the detent 96.

The parts are so arranged that the rod 80 may be oscillated so that it brings the key part 61 to a position to lock or connect the desired gear to shaft 6. In this position the rod 80 is releasably held, the oscillating of rod 80 effecting the conmeeting of any desired gear to the shaft. In this way it is possible to selectively obtain any one of several different angles of oscillation without disengaging the racks and gears.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for positively oscillating the former by the latter comprising, a plurality of driven members normally rotatable on said shaft, a plurality of driving members each having one end pivotally connected to said rotatable member and opposite ends for operable engagement with the driven members, means maintaining said driving and driven members in permanent operative engagement, and means for selectively engaging a certain one of said driven members and shaft whereby said member is driven by a certain one of the driving members.

2. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for positively oscillating the former by the latter comprising, a plurality of driven members normally rotatable on said shaft, a plurality of driving members each having one end pivotally connected to said rotatable member and opposite ends for operable engagement with the driven members, means maintaining said driving and driven members in permanent operative engagement, whereby the driven members are oscillated simultaneously, and means for selectively engaging a certain one of said driven members and said shaft to cause said driven member and shaft to be driven by a certain one of the driving members.

3. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for positively oscillating the former by the latter comprising, a plurality of driven gear members normally rotatable on said shaft, a plurality of racks each having one end pivoted to said rotatable member, means maintaining said racks in operative engagement with their respective gears whereby during rotation of the rotatable member the gear members are simultaneously oscillated by the racks, and means for selectively operatively engaging any one of said driven gears and shaft.

4. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for positively oscillating the former by the latter comprising, a plurality of driven gear members of different diameters normally rotatable on said shaft, a plurality of racks each having one end pivoted to said rotatable member, means maintaining said racks in operative engagement with their respective gears whereby during rotation of the rotatable member the gear members are simultaneously oscillated by the racks, and means for selectively operatively engaging any one of said driven gears and shaft.

JOHN OAKLEY. 

